1 ½teaspoonsfreshly ground black pepperor to taste
Chicken and Salad
about 1.25 pounds boneless skinless chicken breastsI use thinly sliced breasts
about 6 cups lettuceI used romaine and kale; fresh spinach or your favorite greens may be substituted
1large applecored and sliced very thin (try Envy, Gala, Fuji, or similar)
1cupaged white cheddarcrumbled or grated (I used Trader Joe’s Unexpected Cheddar)
½cupdried orange-flavored cranberriesI use Trader Joe’s; plain dried cranberries may be substituted
½cupnutssliced almonds, candied pecans, spiced walnuts, cashews, etc.
Instructions
Marinade and Vinaigrette:
In a medium glass jar or container with a lid, add all ingredients, put the lid on and shake vigorously until combined; taste and tweak as necessary to taste.
Set half aside to be used later as a vinaigrette over the salad.
Chicken and Salad:
Add chicken to a large ziptop plastic bag, add the remaining half of the marinade, seal bag, toss to coat chicken evenly; set aside to marinate for at least 20 minutes; I marinated overnight and recommend it if you have time because the chicken turns out so tender and juicy. If marinating longer than 20 to 30 minutes, place bag in the fridge.
Preheat grill to high heat (or if using a grill pan, heat it over high heat on the stove). Add chicken to grill, reduce heat to medium, and cook for about 5 to 7 minutes per side, or as necessary until chicken reaches an internal temp of 165F. All grills, grillpans, and thickness of chicken vary so cooking time will vary. Allow chicken to rest off the heat on a platter while you prep the salad.
To a large bowl or platter or individual bowls, add the lettuce, apple, cheddar, cranberries, and almonds; set aside.
Slice the chicken, add to the salad, drizzle reserved vinaigrette over salad as desired, toss to combine, and serve immediately. If you don’t use all the vinaigrette, extra will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 1 week.